Earth Island News

International Marine Mammal Project

Whalewatching takes off in Iceland

Husavik, a fishing community of 2,500 inhabitants on the northeast
coast of Iceland, was until recently known only for a beautiful wooden
church built in 1907. But in the last five years Husavik has become the
whale watching capital of Europe, taking almost 23,000 tourists out to
see the whales in our beautiful bay.

Even though whale watching is the fastest growing sector of the
Icelandic tourist industry, with over 60,000 tourists last year, there
is still a constant call for the resumption of whaling by old time
whalers and a number of Parliament members. In 2001 and again this
year, Iceland tried and failed to get into the International Whaling
Commission (IWC) with a reservation to the Whaling Moratorium set in
1983. Approval of the full membership of the IWC would be needed to
resume whaling in Iceland. The ban on trade of whale products could
only be lifted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES), not by IWC.

The most common pro-whaling argument in Iceland is that whales may
deplete fish stocks once their numbers recover. Scientists at Iceland's
Marine Research Institute (MRI) claim that minke whales consume 1
million tons of small fish and krill, and several thousand tons of cod
every year in the mid-North Atlantic. The MRI proposes that 250 minke
whales and 100 fin whales should be killed every year.

Johann Sigurjónsson, manager of the MRI, stated last year that taking
250 minke whales would not have any effect on the stock of minke whales
in the mid-North Atlantic Ocean, as they have estimated the stock to be
58-70,000 animals. "It is like a drop in the ocean," Sigurjónsson said.

If taking 250 minkes is not going to have any negative effect on minke
whale stocks around Iceland, how can they claim it is going to increase
the annual cod catch?

There are now 12 Icelandic companies offering regular whale watching
trips during the summer. These companies are located in nine different
towns and villages around the island. The growth of the whale watching
business has indirectly provided a strong argument against the popular
attitude toward Iceland's resumption of whaling as it is now providing
a lot of new jobs and revenue for the local communities around the
island and also for the economy of Iceland in general.

The direct value of whalewatching is estimated at $8 million. Direct
value includes costs for such items as air travel, bus transport, car
hire, lodging, dining, gasoline, whalewatching excursions and
souvenirs. According to the Institution for Economics in Iceland,
indirect revenue, incurred by other services provided for the tourists
by private companies and the public sector, brings the total revenue of
whalewatching in Iceland to US$13 million.

Clearly, the value of whalewatching to the Icelandic economy means that
whalewatching needs to be taken into serious consideration by the
government. However, many politicians are not willing to consider the
value of whalewatching when arguing for resumption of whaling.

The direct value of the growing whale-watching industry in Iceland is
now twice that of whaling during the "scientific" whaling years
(1986-1989), and more than half the value that whaling industry
contributed to the Icelandic economy from 1950 to 1980, when whaling
was at its peak.

Whalewatching also helps build a positive reputation for Iceland as a
"nature destination." Whaling will without a doubt damage this image.
According to the visitor survey from the Icelandic Tourist Board in
2001, over 80 percent of all tourists decide to travel to Iceland to
enjoy nature. Another visitor survey indicates that 70 percent of
tourists would condemn Iceland's whaling activities; 40 percent would
not return to Iceland if whaling is resumed.

When scientists, politicians, fishermen and some members of the
Icelandic media claim that whales need to be used just like any other
resource, they forget that whales are already being used. Whalewatching
is a positive use. Each year the whales get more familiar with the
whalewatching boats and take an interest in them, providing a deeper
experience for the tourist.

Still, support for resumption of whaling is high at the moment. Local
surveys tell us that 70-80 percent of Icelanders support the resumption
of whaling. I feel that the results reflect national pride, and are a
statement of independence rather than an expression of the true will to
resume whaling. A majority of Icelanders believe that whales are a
problem for the fisheries and should be culled, a position shown to be
untenable.

If whaling is resumed, it could devastate whalewatching in Iceland.
Minke whales are the prime target for the whalers but they are also the
most important whales for whalewatching in many places. There is no
evidence that minke whaling and whalewatching can coexist as the
scientists of the MRI and many politicians have been claiming. The
friendly minkes would be the first to be killed as they often approach
boats. Whaling could therefore directly damage many years of friendly
encounters with the minke whales around Iceland in the future.

The Husavik Whale Centre is currently working towards the goal of
opening a new educational whale center in a much larger building than
the one we have using for the last four years. Through continued
lobbying and cooperation with government and local authorities and
local businesses I have managed to gather over $175,000 to renovate the
building and I am continuing my efforts to raise funds to open the new
exhibition.

The changes in attitude that I have seen during the past five years I
have been living in Husavik are unbelievable. I feel it is an
achievement we all can be proud of and an example of how positive use
of whales and cooperation with local authorities and companies can
benefit the remote communities in the Arctic region.